Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

This one kind of snuck up on me. I made it twice in the span of 48 hours, and while I liked it the first time, I really liked it the second time. The first time I made it was to take to a friend for dinner. I know whatyou are thinking--why in the world would you make a new recipe and take it to someone for dinner? It's crazy, I know, but it's just what I do. It's like I just take the opportunity to try something new and assume that I am a good enough judge of a recipe by now to make decent choices. My kids and I ate this, and I thought it was pretty good (definitely good enough to share), just not as awesome as I'd hoped. So I put the leftovers in my husband's lunch and then the next evening apologized for sending him pasta (which he isn't overly enthusiastic about, mind you). He surprised me by telling me how incredible it was and that he wished he had more...hmmm...this is definitely proof that it is hard to even enjoy good food while standing in the kitchen shoveling in bites between meeting the demands of small children. So today I decided to make it again--if for no other reason than to use up the heavy cream (gasp!) and broth that were open in the fridge. I am oh so glad I did. Totally delicious, fast, and could definitely be jazzed up with some shrimp, chicken, or even Italian sausage, if you'd like. This will be a staple in our house. Bonus: kids devoured it, no protests.

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

-from thepioneerwoman.com

1 box pasta of your choice (12-16 oz)--I used fettuccine the first time, and rigatoni the second.

4 T. butter (yes, this is half of a stick)

1/2 whole large onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

black pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded parmesan, plus more to pass at table

1/4 c. freshly minced parsley

chopped fresh basil--I used a whole package because I LOVE it. Using it at all is totally optional.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the chopped red peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot.

Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor or blender. Puree the mixture until smooth.

Heat the other 2 tablespoon butter back to the skillet over medium heat. When melted, pour the pepper puree back into the skillet. Add the broth, salt, and pepper, and stir until heated. Add the cream and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if you need to.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender, drain, and add to skillet. Add Parmesan and parsley/basil, then stir it together to coat the pasta.